Prisoners’ mobile phones to be cut off under new law – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 5th, 2015 in bills, confiscation, enforcement, news, prisons, statistics, telecommunications by sally

‘Mobile phone companies will be forced to cut off signals to handsets being used by inmates in prisons, under planned new laws.’

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Daily Telegraph, 4th January 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Rachel Titley death: Yarmouth text message driver jailed – BBC News

Posted January 5th, 2015 in dangerous driving, homicide, news, sentencing, telecommunications by sally

‘A driver who was distracted by his mobile phone before a head-on crash which killed a woman has been jailed for six years.’

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BBC News, 2nd January 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Jimmy Mubenga: Judge refused to allow jury to hear about guards’ racist texts – The Guardian

Posted December 18th, 2014 in death in custody, evidence, immigration, juries, news, racism, telecommunications by sally

‘An Old Bailey judge refused to allow a jury to hear about dozens of “grossly offensive and undoubtedly racist” text messages on the phones of two of the G4S security guards acquitted of killing Jimmy Mubenga because they did not have “any real relevance” to the trial.’

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The Guardian, 17th December 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Cracking intercepts: the war on terror and difficulties with Human Rights – UK Human Rights Blog

‘This is a fascinating case, not just on the facts or merits but because it is generated by two of the major catalysts of public law litigation: the government’s duty to look after the security of its citizens, and the rapid outpacing of surveillance law by communications technology. Anyone who has seen The Imitation Game, a film loosely based on the biography of Alan Turing, will appreciate the conflicting currents at the core of this case: the rights of an individual to know, and foresee, what the limits of his freedom are, and the necessity to conceal from the enemy how much we know about their methods. Except the Turing film takes place in official wartime, whereas now the state of being at “war” has taken on a wholly different character.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 11th December 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

The costs of intervening – Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers

Posted December 11th, 2014 in appeals, competition, costs, news, telecommunications, tribunals by sally

‘There is an interesting little point on costs buried away in last week’s decision in the “Ethernet” disputes in the Competition Appeal Tribunal (see BT plc v Cable & Wireless Worldwide Plc and others [2014] CAT 20).’

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Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers, 11th December 2014

Source: www.competitionbulletin.com

Judicial reviews: a decision that’s best left to judges – The Guardian

‘The justice secretary wants to restrict access to judicial reviews, but judging the lawfulness of executive action should not be a matter for the executive.’

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The Guardian, 10th December 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

MPs get go-ahead to challenge snooping law – The Guardian

‘Two MPs have been given the green light to legally challenge the government over the introduction of legislation which gives police and security services access to people’s phone and internet records.’

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The Guardian, 8th December 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Barrister translates “text-speak” for jury – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 4th, 2014 in affray, firearms, gangs, interpretation, news, telecommunications, trials by sally

‘Barrister forced to translate youths’ “text-speak” into English for a jury.’

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Daily Telegraph, 3rd December 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Careers for the 21st century law student – The Guardian

‘Even in a profession as traditional as law, technology is powerful enough to kill and create a range of roles.’

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The Guardian, 25th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Internet data plan back on political agenda – BBC News

‘A law forcing firms to hand details to police identifying who was using a computer or mobile phone at a given time is to be outlined by Theresa May.’

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BBC News, 23rd November 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Paul O’Grady settles News of the World phone hacking claim – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 20th, 2014 in interception, media, news, telecommunications by tracey

‘Paul O’Grady, the television personality, has settled his phone hacking claim for “substantial” damages. A judge heard that News Group Newspapers, publisher of the now defunct News of the World newspaper, accepted that his “voicemail messages were intercepted and that there has been a misuse of his private information”. The announcement was made during a hearing at the High Court in London.’

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Daily Telegraph, 19th November 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Bring Your Own Device – Managing The Risks – Littleton Chambers

‘On 6 October 2014, the Government published new guidance on BYOD (‘Bring Your Own Device’) which highlights the fact that allowing employees to use their own technology at work is not just a technical issue that needs to be grappled with by IT departments, but has wide-ranging implications for employers.’

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Littleton Chambers, 13th November 2014

Source: www.littletonchambers.com

Oral statement to Parliament – Prisoner communications – Ministry of Justice

Posted November 12th, 2014 in confidentiality, news, prison officers, prisons, rehabilitation, telecommunications by tracey

‘Oral Statement on prisoner communications by the Secretary of State for Justice, 11 November 2015.’

Full statement

Ministry of Justice, 11th November 2014

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

MPs’ calls to prisoners ‘taped’, says Chris Grayling – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 12th, 2014 in confidentiality, interception, news, prison officers, prisons, telecommunications by tracey

‘Private conversations between MPs and prisoners from their constituencies may have been recorded and monitored in jails, Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary has announced. The minister issued an apology to the House of Commons after disclosing that communications by at least 32 current MPs were thought to be involved.’

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Daily Telegraph, 11th November 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Ian Edmondson jailed for eight months over phone hacking – The Guardian

Posted November 7th, 2014 in conspiracy, guilty pleas, interception, news, sentencing, telecommunications by tracey

‘A former news editor at the News of the World has been sentenced to eight months in prison after he pleaded guilty to plotting to hack the phones of public figures, sports stars and celebrities.’

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The Guardian, 7th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Six months on bail – for being sent spoof video of a ‘tiger’ having sex, that was really a man in a tiger suit – The Independent

‘A bus driver wrongly accused of owning a film of a woman having sex with a tiger is trying to change the law on extreme pornography after a 14-month campaign to clear his name.’

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The Independent, 26th October 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

NSPCC’s call for law change over sex messages – BBC News

Posted October 24th, 2014 in child abuse, electronic mail, internet, news, sexual offences, telecommunications by sally

‘Campaigners want it to be made illegal for adults to send sexual messages to children.’

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BBC News, 24th October 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Police ‘use loophole’ to access phone and email records – Daily Telegraph

‘Police forces have used a loophole to access phone and email records, it has been claimed.’

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Daily Telegraph, 20th October 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

David Walliams settles phone-hacking damages claim – The Guardian

‘Actor and comedian David Walliams has settled his phone-hacking damages claim. Walliams, who is best known for the sketch show Little Britain but is also an author and a trustee of Comic Relief, accepted substantial undisclosed damages and his legal costs from News Group Newspapers, publisher of the now-defunct News of the World.’

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The Guardian, 16th October 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Home Office told to disclose advice behind decision on intercept evidence – The Guardian

‘The Home Office has been ordered to release secret legal advice justifying its decision to prevent intercept evidence being used in criminal trials. The ruling by an information tribunal could shine a light on the way intelligence agencies gather and store material as well as on their relationship with law enforcement organisations. The appeal for the advice to be disclosed was made by the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law which submitted a Freedom of Information request to uncover the reasoning behind a 2009 report, entitled “Intercept as Evidence”.’

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The Guardian, 16th October 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk